Gun



1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 vJune 17, 1924.` n

E. MULLER GUN Filed Sept. 2l

* By )1m-@ENEMY 5 Sheets-Shes?. 2

E. MLLER GUN Flled Sept. 2, 1921 June 17, 1924.

June 17, 1924.

E. MLLER GUN 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 y yl/vudev/1112A" E n 2 By MTURA/ f Filedsept. 2. 1921 Patented .lune 17, 1924.

invrrsn srarss PATENT oFFl-cs.

EMIL MLLER, OF DUSSELDORF, GERMANY, ASSIGN-OE yTO THE FIRM 0F RHEINISCHEMnrALLWAAnnN-Unn ivrescnrnnnanm, ory nnssnnnofannnnnnnonr, enn-` MANY.

GUN.

To all whom t may concern;

Be it known that I, EMIL MLLER, a citizen of Germany, residing atDusseldorf, Germany, 8 Julicherstrasse, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Guns (forl which I have filed application forLetters Patent in Germany December 27, 1917), of which the following isa specification.

The present invention has 'for its obj ect a gun, which is primarilydestined for heavy ordnance. Hitherto the introduction of the shellsinto guns of that kind proved exceedingly wearisome and diiiicult, andit was necessary to make useoil some auxiliary and transporting devices,and to change the barrel together with its cradle from the tiringposition into the loading, position. Especially with steep firing gunswhose trunnions are arranged so far back that part of thei barrel of thebrake will recoil beyond this point, loading is only possible, if thebarrel is lowered from the steep'into the horizontal position forloading purposes, which procedure will entail a change in the directionof height.

Steep firing guns have become known in which the barrel is connectedwith the levelling device by means of a coupling, and by actuating thelatter the connection between levelling device and trunnion wasdisengaged, whereby the barrel and the cradle were brought from thetiring into -the'. loading position and then loading resumed its formerposition, without it being' necessary to adjust the levelling` device.lnY this modeof conf struction it became necessary however, to swing therecoiling parts as well as4 the cradl'ealso intogthe loading position,which procedure in "the case of heavy and very heavy guns required muchtime and a large consumption of'p'ower. y

According to the present invention this drawback' is obviated in thatfor loading the barrel neither an'adjustinent of the levelling devicenor a change of position of the cradle parts is necessary, only Vaturning of the barrel being required. For this purpose means areprovided permitting the barrel to be swung 'from the tiring positioninto lthe loading position around two trunnions provided between thesupports of the cradle and independently from the cradle and levellingdevice. To effect this a coupling may be provided, which is linterposedbetween the bar- 2, 1921. Serial No. 498,0()6.

rel and cradle. Said coupling may be of such construction that by asimple turning of an adjusting lever' rigidly connected with an annulardisc, elasticA coupling bolts become disengaged and a thumb disposed onthe annular disc slides in a groove arranged in the socket bearing insuch a way that it will etliect a turning after engagement. The barrelthus brought into the loading position is then fixed in a suitablemanner so that a quick loading may be effected in a simple mannerwithout the use of special auxiliary apparatus.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation. Fig. 2 is a rearview of the loading chute. Fig. 3 is a topplan view. Fig. et is anenlarged View with parts in section, showing one of the supportingt'runnions. Fig. 5 is a cross sectional View through the supportingtrunnion. Fig. 6 is a detail, in section.

The gun shown in Fig. l, for instance a mine thrower, is disposed on aplatform a in such manner, that the trunnions Z) about which the barrel@is swung when adjusting the height, are arranged so far back, that nopart of the barrel or the brake will recoil beyond that point. Thebarrel c 4is disposed by means of two lateral journals (l, and d (Figs.3 and 5') in both the cradles 6(2, which are held by the support f ofthe cradles. Between barrel c' and the one part` c ofthe cradle acoupling g is interposed in the journal d. The journals d, d aredisposed in the gravity point of the barrel c and carry theslidingpieces of the brake cylinders, which 'are arranged in the guidesof the cradles.

lf it is for instance intended to loady the gun, according toth'evin'vention, it is not necessary to touch the levelling device inorder to, effect a turning of the barrel, and furthermore no derrick isrequired for' in# troducingthe ammunition; it'is only necessary ltodisconnect the coupling g arranged between the barrel c and cradle epermitting the barrel to be swung individually. This is eilected in sucha way, that by turning the adjusting lever L (Fig. Ll) an annular discz' rigidly connected with theplatter is turned and the yspring-pressedVcoupling boltsZ brought out of engagement with'the barrel and cradle, inthat said coupling bolts Z slide on an 4inclined plane m (Fig. 6) and inconsequence become disengaged.

During this movement a nose n provided on the annular disc c' and guidedin a groove o provided in the journal bearing after engagement takes thebarrel along if the turning movement is continued, so that the barrel isbrought -into the loading position required. This position will suitablybe a horizontal one and may be ascertained by means of a water-level por a pendulum cross. In such loading position the barrel c is secured bymeans of a friction coupling g. Then loading of the barrel takes place,while the degree of elevation imparted to the barrel is adjusted on ascale s provided on a vertically adjustable loading chute 7c, while thelatter occupies the elevation of the barrel c to be loaded.

After loading the friction coupling g is disengaged and the adjustinglever 7L brought back into its former position. Hereby the couplingbolts Z slide on the face ot the annular disc c' back to the inclinedplane m, where by the pressure ot the springs r they automaticallysnatch into the respective groove, so that the barrel c again occupiesits former position. Since the adjusting lever L and coupling g arearranged in the journaled bearing CZ partaking in the backward movementof the barrel and the coupling bolts Z are disposed vertically inrelation to the axis of the barrel, an automatic disengagement of thebarrel by the recoiling Jforce is excluded.

With certain kinds of guns the construction according to the inventionmay be suoli, that the journals disposed between the barrel and cradlemay simultaneously serve as trunnions.

I claim:

l. In a drawback O'un, the combination with a barrel, a cradle, means,associated w-ith said cradle for guiding said cradle during recoil,means permitting said barrel to swing relative to said cradle forloading including journals provided between the barrel and cradle, andmeans for automatically coupling said barrel and cradle when the barrelis moved from loading to tiring position.

2. In a drawback gun, -the combination with a barrel, a cradle, meansassociated with said cradle for guiding said cradle during recoil, meanspermitting said barrel to swing relative to said cradle for loadingincluding journals provided -between the barrel and cradle, andspring-pressed bolts, arranged vertically in relation to the aXis of thebarrel, for automatically coupling said barrel and cradle when thebarrel is moved from loading to firing position.

3. In a drawback Oun, the combination with a barrel, a cradle, meansassociated with said cradle for guiding said cradle during recoil,journals between the barrel and cradle, and a coupling interposedbetween the barrel and cradle for connecting the barrel and cradle infiring position, including spring-pressed bolts, and means fordisengaginv said bolts to permit said barrel to swing relative to saidcradle.

4. In a drawback gun, the combination with a barrel, a cradle, meansassociated with said cradle for guiding it during recoil, journalsbetween the barrel and cradle for connecting the barrel and cradle infiring position, including spring-pressed bolts, a rotatable disk havingportions adapted to actuate said bolts against the tension of theirsprings, and a projection on said disk for engaging said barrel to swingit relative to said cradle when disengaged therefrom.

5. In a drawback gun, the combination with a barrel, a cradle, meansassociated with said cradle for guiding it during recoil, journalsbetween the barrel and cradle for connecting the barrel and cradle intiring position, including spring-pressed bolts, a disk having portionsadapted to actuate said bolts to uncouple said barrel and cradle, aprojection on said disk for engaging said barrel, and a lever rigidlyconnected with said disk for turning it to actuate said bolts and toswing said barrel relative to said cradle.

6. In a. drawback gun, the combination with a barrel, a cradle, meansassociated with said cradle for guiding it during recoil, journalsbetween the barrel and cradle for connecting the barrel and cradle iniring position, including spring-pressed bolts, a disk having portionsadapted to actuate said bolts to uncouple said barrel and cradle, and aleverrigidly connected with said disk for turning it to actuate saidbolts, said bolts, disk Yand lever being carried by said barrel andpartaking of the movements thereof.

7. A drawback gun including a barrel, a cradle, means associated withsaid cradle for guiding` said cradle during recoil, journals providedbetween the barrel and cradle to 'permit said barrel to swing relativeto said cradle, in combination with a vertically adjustable loadingchute, a scale on the latter graduated in units of gun elevation, and apointer movable over the scale in unison with the elevation of thechute.

In testimony whereof I have aliXed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

. EMIL MULLER.

Witnesses:

HERMANN SGHLER, PAUL QUAAS.

